Wedge nut and structure employing wedge nuts



July 14, 1953 P. ROSENBERG WEDGE NUT AND STRUCTURE EMPLOYING WEDGE NUTS Original Filed Feb. 10, 1945 kZmi 164, 41%;, 6mm Q Jnoentor f IL n Roa /vases attorneys Patented July 14, 1953 UNITED STATES PATEN I I. V M 2,645,264" Q WEDGE NUT AND STRUCTURE EMPIL YING p p WEDGE NUTS .7 Philip Rosenberg, New York, N.-Y., assignor to Universal Steel Equipment Corporation, Long Island City, N. Y., a corporationofN ew York ber 17, 1950, Serial'No. 196,11

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to wedge lock nuts which are adapted to be used with through fasteners such as screws, bolts or grooved pins, the nuts being used for holding the through fasteners securely in place and for cooperatingwith them to clamp together the parts which they are designed to join.

It often happens when metallic parts are being assembled that conventional bolts and nuts cannot be used to advantage. In some instances space limitations render it extremely awkward to use such conventional turning tools as wrenches and screw drivers, while in other instances space limitations render the use of such tools actually impossible. Even when space is available for the use of the conventional turning tools, the application of nuts to bolts is tedious and time consuming. This is particularly true in operations such as the fabrication of metallic cabinets because of the large number of bolt and nut connections required. r

It is primarily the object of the present invention to provide a wedge lock nut which can be applied quickly and conveniently to a conventional bolt or screw without relative turning, and which is adapted to be used as a substitute for the conventional threaded nut.

While the wedge lock nut of the present invention is adapted for use with a grooved pin, as well as with a threaded bolt of low pitch, use with a bolt is generally preferable because a single type of bolt can be used with plates of various thicknesses whereas different designs of grooved pins may be required for different plate thicknesses.

Other objects and advantages will hereinafter appear.

The present application is a division of my pending application Serial No. 577,194, filed February 1945, now abandoned, for Structures Employing Wedge Nuts.

In the drawing forming part of this specification,

Figure 1 is a sectional view, taken upon the line Figure 3 is a plan view of the wedge nut of Figures 1 and 2;

Figure 4 is a view of the wedge nut in subbut before application to the work; and

stantially the same attitude as shown in Figure 1 Figure 5 is a view in elevation showing a cirfaces of the plate 3. The plate 3 and the flanges 4 and 5 have aligned openings in them through which the bodies of headed and threadedbolts 6 may be passed. The holes are of substantially the same diameter as the outside diameter ofthe bolt bodies.

The bolt or screw 6 cooperates with a clamping nut l of novel construction. The nut T is in the form of a thin sheet of spring metal such as spring steel. At one end of the nut the metal is curved upward and then downward to form an inverted U, the downwardly extending leg 8 continuing downward for a short distance beyond the nut body 9. The lower extremity of the leg 8 is turned outward to provide a base flange I0 which lies in a plane slightly below the plane of the body 9. The body portion 9 of the nut I is formed with a keyhole opening comprising a slot portion H and an enlarged circular portion I2. The circular portion I2 is at the end of the body remote from the flange ill while the slot portion II extends from the circular portion to a point near the inverted U. The body 9 is thin and flat, extending in a single plane.

When a bolt has been inserted through the openings of the plate 3 and the flanges 4 and 5, the nut 1 can be readily passed down around the threaded body of'the bolt. The nut will then stand with its body in a slightly inclined attitude. The nut may then be moved to engage the margins of the slot l l in grooves at opposite sides of the bolt body by moving the nut bodily toward the right, as viewed in Figure 1. As the nut is moved toward the right it seeks to carry the engaged threads of the bolt up an inclined plane but if the bolt has been held with its head firmly against the lower face of the flange 5 in the beginning it will not be able to move upward and instead the nut itself will be deformed by the pressure of the screw thread. The nut is desirably moved far enough to the right to lodge the body of the bolt in the extreme left hand end of the slot II, as shown in Figure 1. With this arrangement the flanges 4 and 5 are firmly The plates I and 2 are provided clamped against the sheet 3. The parts are held firmly against vibration loosening with the nut at one side at least wedged down by the screw thread against the upper face of the flange 4.

This forcingdown of the nut metal adjacent the inverted U induces'a bending of. the metal to'occur in the U itself. The nut body 9 stands substantially at right angles to the axis of the-t bolt so that friction prevents any tendency of the nut to shift leftward and re1ax-the hold upon= the connected parts.

portion andamenlargement of the slot' disposed' toward the second end thereof, an inverted U- ;shaped portion at said first'end beyond the slot 7 and having one leg thereof extended integrally The nut illustrated is especially advantageous;

foruse in stockroom cabinets. inwhich the "coneditions of service are such thattpartitionsmave" to be shifted frequently to change thesizes of the compartments. slotted portion of the nut is so gradual'that"'tlie nut can be applied and removed with the fingers The initial inclination ofthe" and without resort to the use of tools. The-flat I flange on the leg 8 facilitates sliding of the nut. Thenstockroom clerk, can ire-ad just a partition or? partitions at any; time V Asan alternativeto-the employment of the bolt 6 as-iillustrated in-Figures 1 and 2 a headed and g'rooved;pin.-. I8 aszillustrated. in Figure 5 may be employed, The pincomprises a headl9and azbodypartifl; the body part being formed WithLIB/LSBIiBSuOf circumferential grooves as shown.

Thisipinfunctionsin much the same manner thataa tstandard. vbolt rwould.

Lhave-describedwhat I believevto be the best embodiments;:0f;,my;; invention. I do DOtTWiSh however; to; be W confined to the q embodiments showmbutzwhat I desireto cover by Letters. Patent is :set .forthin. the appended. claim.

I claim:;

In combination, a plurality of sheet metal members; to be; united having, aligned bores formedin them, aheaded screw having its body passed-freely through the bores :of said members and-sitshead-inengagement .with the firstof said from;:thebody*portion and upward away from thebody plane at the slotted endof the body andtheaotherileg extending in the opposite direc tionzand longzenough whenin a normal or unstressed condition to extend across and a short distance beyondrthenbody plane of the wedge "nut; saidgothertlgg terminating in engagement with rthe 'second'zof the united members, said body portion having at least one'of its slot margins at the end adjacent the inverted 'U -shaped portion clamped positively between a' thread of the screwand the second united member with cramping deforming pressure to hold :the. united "parts. immovable between the screw h'eadiandzthe nut, and to hold the: nutpositively. againstadislodgment; the: inverted U shaped portion. heingtyield ing enough t'o permit a slot margin to be wedged down as stated but being stiff enoughto resist strongly :downward displacementof the nut body into engagementlwith' thesecondmember to be *unitedi PHILIP R0 SEN BERG.

' References;(liter 11in the file'ofthis patent;

V UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 594,749. Mitchell Nov. 30, 1897 2,203,397 Taylor June4', 1940. 2,285,273 Hall. June. 2, 1942 2,353,933 Schneider July 18, ,1944 2,367,109

Fay Jan. 9, 1945 a 

